Pressure indicator



c. n. KEERAN.' PRESSURE INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUGIT. |918.

1,414,474. Patented May 2,l 1922.

IILIIIIIL:

,SENT 20F-FICE.

CHARLES RSKEERAN, 0F CHIGAGOjILLNOIS.

` PRESSURE INDICATOR.

" Specification -of Letters Patent. Patented May 2, 1922.

vApplicatlim'..iled.August 17, 1918. -1 Serial-No. 250,355. l f

To all fui/wm t may concern.'

Be ity known that I, CHARLES R...KEERAN,. a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chi- .usesshould be clearly borne in mind.

.It is common yknowledge .that whena pneumatic tire is punctured, the tirebecomes soft,or entirelyat. Theseconditions generallyarise while the vehicle is in use,.and

oftenwithout the knowledge ofthe-occupants .thereoff. `-When operated under these rconditionssthe tirexmay suffer irreparable injury,l so-,that it is highly desirableto provide, if1 possible, .some means which v`will ,warn thoseiising the vehicle-whenever` the pressure within-thetire .becomes dangeroiislylow. j

With .the end in View Eoit providing. Aa devicefwhich will .accomplish rthis purpose, Iv have devised the present invention, comprising y.a simple, inexpensive :and compact structure `capable of beingattached tothe ordinary tirev valve withoutimpairing in any way its'functions. It consists, inbrieif, of'a chamber having one or more curved walls capable of flexing inwardlyor outwardly,

.-dependingupon the degree of pressure within the tire. These flexing movements. are accompanied by a sharp crack or reportnso loud as to .be distinctly heard by those in the immediate vicinity, thereby-..giving. an audible indication of a change in pressure -Y within the tire.v

A device answering` generally to this description, and which embodies the features ot my present invention, is disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through `a tire valve equipped with the vpresent device g sist rotary movement thereupon.

FigxQis .a longitudinal View, partly in section, takenat right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 311s a crosssectional View taken on i Fig..4,is.a detail in elevationof the linner tube, which fornisa seal between the valve stemg and extension piece secured thereto.

The present device is illustrated in connection .with atirevalve of common construction,.:the valve vstem,-designated as A, having tted'thereon an extension stem or piece. B, between which parts a sealismaintainedbya. hollow inner tube C, the valve core.. D kbeing mounted Vwithin the extension Astem Band receivinoF protection by the usual cap. E. The parts rD and E are common y-toathefvalves now Generally in use, while those designatedas I3 and C are special to this invention. These various elements willl vfnowfbe described in detail.

vAs rpartrof the tire valve, I have shownin the drawing a stem. Ay secured tothe tire fin any -suitablemanner^,` the outer end thereof ,beingreduced tot'orm a nipple 6. Bot-h the V.stein andnipple are exteriorly threaded in the ,usual manner, ,the stembeing flattened as at .7-'onoppositesides thereot- (see Figs'. 2 and v3). `.Interiorly the lstem is provided with a =bore 8 taperedas at9 to'form va seatfand vthreadedas at -lOnear its extremity;

.The construction thus far described is .common andfwellrknown. I rhave'fitted to Ythe valve stein vcertain other elements, however, this being-accomplished by rst unlscrewing and removing the valve cap E and .valvecoreD .These elements comprise an extension. piece` B ,in vthe form lof a stein, having one` end enlarged as at 11, from .whichz-depend afpliirality of tongues 12, two

of which engage-with springaction against the flattened sides 7 .of the Stein A to re- The stein or .tube B is Vcontracted and interiorly ythreaded asat 13-to screw onto the threaded nipple 10 of the casing, and beyond this point is'formed interiorly with a seat 111 corresponding, in a measure at least, to the seat 9l within the valve stem, but having its sides inversely inclined. vPositioned within .thebore-S of the stem is an Yinner tube C,

best shown inFig. 4, formed with an eiilarged portion each end of which is tapered `asrat.15,.,and suitably vrecessed to provide therein kaseatfor agasket 16. When as-` ,'thedo-tted lines in- Fig.' 29* l', l l ''f The upper eii.rl"1o'litlie Aextensio'i'ipiece B `(as lviewed Vin the drawing) is formed #manner similar to the .corresponding endgof.

sembled in the manner shownin Fig. 1, one

lgasket 1G is fitted against the seat 9 within the stem A, and the other gasket 16 is fittedv against the seat 14C within ,the extension stem B, so as to provide a passageway through these elements which X is tight Obviously, the i land communica-tion from *within thev eX- tension piece tothe chamber is provided by means ofone or moreaperti'ires 20; Accordf ingto this construction, a `passage `isl alwaysl maintained betweeiithe chamber `and Itheftire interior'such that the pressure of air within each will always be the samej Normally, at atmospheric pressure', the walls 19 tend to [lex inwardly, shown lullig. Lbut vwhen ay suliicieiit pressui-eofair has been introduced into the tire, the walls 19 lwill vlier;v outwardly, somewhat indicated by the valve stem'fA, that'is, itis provided with a flaring inner wall 21 forminga seat for the'v'alve core, designated asA D," which is screwed as aunit into tlie-upperlend 22 of Y the extension piece, appropriatelythreaded for this purpose. Avalve cap E is arranged to fit upon the' upperendofthe tube.` 'nl lurfthei' details of the l'valve core IDv arefthought `to be unnecessary,'as they may follow the usual construction.' l

ln' supplying air under compression to the tire, the usual procedure is followed by'making a connection withfthe 'upper end of the extension steniB after first removing the cap.' lklhen the tire'is sufliciently'inflated, the side walls 19 will Vbe bulged outwardly, 'and in moving from inner toouter positions they will snap audibly, thereby indicating that the pressure within the tire has reached a predeternnned point., As 'long `.as this pressure.isvni'aintained, the side walls' will 'continue to remain outwardly bulged, and

' the fact that the tire is suflicientlyv inflated can always be determiner'l by a visual iiispection ofthese walls. This fact may also he determined by feeling of the walls, in case darkness prevent a clear view. VVhein however, the pressure within the'tire falls Vbelow the desired point, these walls will flex is storedk under" pressure.

do not wish to be limited to the exact form l,staifitially as described.` n

inwardly to the accompaniment ofa loud report such as to give warning that the tire is then unfitfor use. It will be obvious that this Vwarning will be given whether the vehicle vbe moving or stationary.

fltis manifest that my invention yis particularly adapted for use with pneumatic tires on vehicle wheels, although `it may be applied to other containers in which fluid Accordingly, l

shown, nor to the particular use suggested, but' desire that other alternative forms or modifications embodying the principles of this invention be included within the scope of my patent, as defined in *the claims hereto appended.

I claim:

1.1n combination with a fluid container having an opening from which projects a stem, a pressure indicator comprising a member fitted to the stem and maintaining communication with the interior ofthe container, the member beingformed with walls adapted to belmoved to the accompaniment of a report under the direct influence of Ya changerin 4pressure within vthe container of predetermined amount Lwithout permitting escape' of the fluid tothe atmosphere, and a Valve ftted'to'fthe member VVfor preventing the escape` of fluid 'within the container, subv2. ln combination with-afluid container having an 'openii-ig equipped with -afvalve` including aLstemandv a rcore operatively ar- 'ranged within the stein, apressureindicator 'comprising ainember .fitted to the stem and arrai'iged to accommodate the 'valve core, the

' member being 'formed withwalls'adapted" to 4`be moved t the accompaniment of a report under theldirect influence of a change lin pressure within the container of-predeten mined 'amountwithout permitting-escape of the liuid to the atmosphere, substantially'asV described. Y Y

3. In combination with a fluid container .having anV opening equipped with a valve including a stem and a core operatively arranged within the stem,'apressure indicater comprising a member fitted to' th'e stem and arranged to accommodate the valve core, the member being provided with sound producing means operable when the-pressure within the container fluctuates pastV a given vpoint but without itself affecting such piessure, substantially as described.

4t. In combination with a fluid container, a pressure indicator associated therewith and in communication with the interior thereof, the pressure indicator being equipped with audible means arranged for actuation when Vthe pressure within the container fluctuates past a given point, the pressure withinthe container being unaffected by actuation =of the indicator, substantially as described.

vmeans-arranged for actuation when the pressure within the container fluctuates either up or down past a given point, the pressure within the container being unaffected by'V actuation of the indicator and the indicator combining in itself a single indicating device which is both visible and audible in its operation, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a tirevalve having a stem and core therewithin, a pressure indicator comprising anv extension piece adapted for connection with the stem andl to accommodate the core, means for sealingv the connection between the stem and extension piece whereby communication is maintained between the stem and core without loss of pressure, and a exing element associated with the extension piece arranged for actuation with fluctuations in the pressure of air within the tire past a given point -but without itself affecting such pressure, the

y flexing element when actuated giving an audible indication of such pressure fluctuation, Y

substantially as described.

7. In combination with a tire valve havadapted for connection with the stem and to accommodate the core, means for sealing the connection between the stem and extension piece whereby communication is maintained betweenv the stem and core without loss of pressure, and a flexing element associated with the lextension piece arranged for actuation with fluctuations in the pressure of air within the tire past a given point, the flexing element when actuated giving a visual indication of such pressure fluctuation, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a fluid container, a pressureindicator associated therewith and in communication with the interior thereof, the pressure indicator being equipped with audible means arranged for actuation without escape of fluid when the pressure within the container varies beyond certain limits,- substantially as described.

y9. In combination with a fluid container, a pressure indicator associated therewith and in communication with the interior thereof, the pressure indicator beingequipped with actuation without escape of fluid` when the l audible and tangible means arranged for 

